A political storm engulfed Italy's Rai state TV network yesterday after its Jerusalem correspondent was accused of betraying a rival network which captured shocking footage of Palestinians lynching two Israeli soldiers.

Institutional anti-semitism and professional jealousy were blamed for Riccardo Cristiano's decision to effectively identify Mediaset journalists in an open letter to Yasser Arafat's Palestinian authority.

Accusing him of informing, Mediaset said it had been forced to withdraw staff exposed to revenge attacks from Palestinians furious with a broadcast that helped Israeli forces to arrest several of the alleged killers.

Security sources in Israel said the frames taken from the film were crucial in allowing Israel's Shin Bet security service to track down the culprits.

The two soldiers, middle-aged reservists, blundered into the West Bank town of Ramallah last Thursday. They were detained in the local police station but then killed by a mob.

One of those reportedly captured is seen in the film standing at the window of the station with his bloodied hands raised in triumph to signal to the crowd below that the soldiers had been killed.

In Italy, the uproar was a pre-election boon to Silvio Berlusconi, head of the centre-right opposition and owner of Mediaset. A spokesman for his party, Forza Italia, said: "The letter is indicative of an anti-semitic attitude in elements of the Italian left."

Rai disowned the letter and recalled Mr Cristiano to Italy but the network's credibility had crumbled, said commentators.

Declaring a day of shame for Italian journalism, Corriere della Sera said the incident was hateful, unacceptable, unethical and irresponsible. "It is an extremely grave error, without precedent."

Unlike most other networks Mediaset avoided having film confiscated by Palestinian police after the killings.

According to Rai, Mr Cristiano, who was wounded in the head while covering earlier riots, wanted to dispel rumours that a Rai crew was responsible.

In a letter published in Al Hayat al Jadida, an official Palestinian newspaper, he said: "Let us emphasise that it is not at all the case, as we respect the work arrangements between journalists and the Palestinian authority.

"Thank you, and rest assured that this is not our way, and we would never do such a thing."

The deputy head of Rai's Jerusalem bureau went on to offer congratulations and "dear blessings" to his "dear friends in Palestine".

He accused an unnamed rival Italian agency of having produced the film, referring to the killings as "the events."

"Mr Cristiano also wrote that his competitors in the Italian media are responsible for broadcasting the pictures of the lynching and thereby accused other foreign journalists working in the territories," it said.

Rai announced that it was immediately recalling Mr Cristiano to Rome. "He will no longer work from Jerusalem. Rai had no knowledge of the letter and its content."